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The Trump administration imposed new restrictions on flights from Mexico and threatened to end a longstanding partnership between Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico in response to limits imposed by the Mexican government on passenger and cargo flights into Mexico City several years ago.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that Mexico’s actions, which forced airlines to move from the main Benito Juarez International Airport to the newer Felipe Angeles International Airport, violated a trade agreement between the two countries. These actions also gave domestic airlines an unfair advantage.
“Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg allowed Mexico to violate our bilateral aviation agreement without repercussions,” Duffy said, referring to the previous president and his transportation secretary. “That ends today. These actions serve as a warning to any country that thinks it can take advantage of the US, our carriers, and our market. America First means fighting for the principle of fairness.
Mexico is the top foreign destination for Americans, with over 40 million passengers flying there last year.
Measures will now be implemented to require Mexican passenger, cargo, and charter airlines to submit their schedules to the Transportation Department for government approval until Duffy is satisfied with the treatment of US airlines by Mexico. It is unclear how these actions might impact ongoing trade tensions with Mexico.
Delta and Aeromexico have been fighting the Transportation Department’s efforts to end their partnership, which began in 2016. The airlines argue that it’s unfair to punish them for the Mexican government’s actions, and that ending the agreement would jeopardize nearly two dozen routes and $800 million in benefits to both countries’ economies.
The US Department of Transportation’s proposal to terminate approval of the partnership would harm consumers, US jobs, communities, and transborder competition, according to Delta. Aeromexico’s press office stated that a joint response with Delta would be presented in the coming days.
The order to terminate the agreement between the airlines would not take effect until October, and it is expected that the airlines will continue to fight the decision.
In a previous filing opposing the order, the airlines estimated that the loss of direct flights would result in over 140,000 American tourists and nearly 90,000 Mexican tourists not visiting the other country. This would hurt both countries’ economies due to the loss of tourism spending.
